Log carrier or bunk

ABSTRACT

A log carrier includes a base with an arm extending upwardly from one side of the base. The arm is shaped to form a partencircling configuration overlying the base with the free end of the arm spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof to form a log-receiving throat. A flexible element extends between the base and the arm with means for tensioning the flexible element. A displaceable projection normally blocks the throat and log thrusting means are adjacent to the opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from the opposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with the flexible element within the arm.

United States Patent 1 Eynon 1 1 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] LOG CARRIER OR BUNK[75] lnventor: John E. Eynon, Port-Arthur, On-

tario, Canada [73] Assignee: Abitiba Paper Company Ltd.,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada 22 Filed: Oct. 12, 1971 21 App1.No.: 188,537

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 13, 1970 Canada ..095354[52] US. Cl ..214/l30 R, 214/6 BA, 214/85 [51] Int. Cl ..B66c 23/00 [58]Field of Search...2l4/1 P, 1 PB, 6 H, 6 D, 6'BA, 214/147 G, 147 T,D1G.3, 130 R, 130 A, 130 B, 130 C, 85; 100/211, 295

I56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR AllhlCA'llONS 227,913 U.S.S.R..214/6 11 153,216 2/1967 U.S.S.R. 214/12 Primary Examiner-Albert .l.Makay Assistant ExaminerJohn Mannix AttorneyStevens, Davis, Miller &Mosher [57] ABSTRACT A log carrier includes a base with an arm extendingupwardly from one side of the base. The arm is shaped to form apart-encircling configuration overlying the base with the free end ofthe arm spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof toform a log-receiving throat. A flexible element extends between the baseand the arm with means for tensioning the flexible element. Adisplaceable projection normally blocks the throat and 10g thrustingmeans are adjacent to the opposite side of the base for thrusting a logfrom the opposite side of the base past the projection into engagementwith the flexible element within the arm.

9 ('Inlms, 5 llrnwlng Figures PATENTED JAN 16 I975 SHEEI 2 BF 5PATENTEDJAN 16 I973 SHEET 3 [1F 5 PATENTEDJAH 16 I973 3.710.969

SHEET u [If 5 LOG CARRIER R BUNK This invention relates to log carrierswhich are used to hold felled trees. Such carriers may be a part of atree felling machine or may be an independent vehicle. It has becomecustomary practice in the logging industry to fell trees, to remove mostof the limbs therefrom before or after felling, and then to place eachresultant log in a log carrier until the carrier is full. The logcarrier has to fulfil several requirements. The carrier must holdsecurely a varying number of logs, which may vary greatly in individualbutt diameter. The carrier must be capable of accepting new logs readilyand without disarray of the existing log load. The logs must be securelyheld in the carrier, since it is frequently moved from place to placeover rough ground before it is full, and also subsequently moved toanother place for unloading. Further, the carrier must be capable ofquick and efficient unloading.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a log carrierwhich meets these requirements.

According to the invention, a log carrier has a base with an armextending upwardly from one side thereof, the arm being shaped to form apart-encircling configuration overlying the base with the free end ofthe arm being spaced above the base adjacent to the opposite sidethereof to form a log-receiving throat. A flexible element extendsbetween the base and the arm, and is capable of being tensioned. Adisplaceable projection normally blocks the throat, and a log thrusteradjacent to the opposite side of the base is operable to thrust a logfrom the opposite side of the base past the projection into engagementwith theflexible element within the arm.

For ease of unloading, the base is preferably pivotally mounted on aplatform so as to be pivotable about an axis adjacent to the oppositeside of the base and parallel to the logs. By such pivoting movement,the logs can be discharged from within the first arm. The first arm mayinclude a first portion secured to the base and a second portionpivotally connected to the first portion for movement away from the baseto facilitate such unloading.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which,

FIG. 1 is a side view of a rear portion of a logging machine, showing alog carrier,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a log carrier with one log therein,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the log carrier shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the log carrier with almost a full load oflogs, and

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the log carrier in the unloading position.

Referring to the drawings, a log carrier 1 is mounted on the rear end ofa chassis 2 of a logging machine having tracks 3. The logging machinemay be of the kind which fells trees and, before or after felling, mayor may not remove most of the limbs. After the machine has processedeach tree, the resultant log is placed in the log carrier 1. The machinemay be, for example, similar to that described in our Canadian Pat.835,144 issued Feb. 24, 1970 and entitled FeIler-Limber- Buncher LoggingMachine."

The log carrier 1 includes a platform 4 mounted on the chassis so as tobe rotatable (by means not shown) about a vertical axis. A base 5 ismounted on the platform 4 and pivotally attached to it near one side ofthe base by a shaft 6 which passes through the platform 4 and throughlugs 7 depending from the base 5. A hydraulic jack 8 is pivotallyconnected at one end to the platform 4 by a pin 9 and at the other endby a pin 10 to the base 5. The jack 8 is operable by fluid pressure topivot the base 5 from the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to theposition shown in FIG. 5, as will be described later.

A curved arm 11 extends upwardly from the side of the base 5 remote fromthe pivotal axis 6, and a curved extension 12 is pivotally connected tothe upper end of the arm 11 by a pin 13. A hydraulic jack 14 ispivotally connected at one end to the extension 12 by a pin 15 and atthe other end to the arm 11 by a pin 16. A jack 14 is operable to pivotthe extension 12 from a logretaining position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 toa logreleasing position shown in FIG. 5. The arm 11 and its extension 12extend in a substantially circular direction such that the free end ofextension 12 is directed downwardly and terminates at a position spacedabove the base 5 and located near, but spaced inwardly from, the side ofthe base 5 opposite that from which the arm 1 1 extends. This oppositeside of the base 5 has an arm 17 extending upwardly and slightlyinclined outwardly from the base to form a log-receiving throat 18 withthe downwardly extending end of the extension 12.

A flexible element in the form of a wire rope 19 has one end connectedby a pin 20 to the free end of the extension 12. The rope 19 then passesaround a pulley 21 mounted on the base 5 and is wound on a hydraulicwinch 22 carried by the base 5 at its junction with the arm 1 1.

The base 5 carries a displaceable projection 23 which is pivotallymounted on a pin 24 in the base 5 and is located below the free end ofthe extension 12. In its operative position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, theprojection 23 effectively blocks the throat 18 between the free end ofthe extension 12 and the base 5. The projection v23 is controlled by acam 25 secured thereto and engageable with a leaf spring 26 secured tothe platform 4. When the base is in the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4,the leaf spring 26 engages the cam 25 to maintain the projection 23 in,its operative position. When the base 5 is in the position shown in FIG.5, the cam 25 is out of contact with the spring 26, and the projection23 drops under its own weight to a position below the upper surface ofthe base 5.

Also carried by the base 5 is a log thruster 27 which includes a mainportion 28 slidably mounted in the base 5 and a leg 29 which projectsupwardly from the rear end of the main portion 28. The thruster 27 isnormally positioned so that the leg 29 lies within an appropriateaperture in the arm '17, but is movable laterally inwardly of the base 5by two hydraulic jacks 30 connected at one end to the base 5 and at theother end to the main portion 28 of the thruster 27. Laterally inwardmovement of the thruster 27 causes the leg 29 to force a log in thethroat 18 past the projection 23 against the action of the leaf spring26.

At the bottom of the throat 18 is a trip 31 pivotally mounted on thelower portion of arm 17 by a pin 32.

Below the trip 31, the arm 17 carries a hydraulic switch 33 which isactuated by the trip 31 when a log 18 is present in the throat 18 todepress the trip 31. Actuation of the trip 31 by a Ioginitiates asequence of operations which, will now be described. The hydraulicswitch 33 is connected to actuate the various hydraulic components in amanner which will be apparent from the following description.

Referring first to FIG. 2, the winch 22 has an adjustable drag brake(not shown) which permits the wire rope to be unwound at a desiredpre-set tension. The winch 22 is driven by a hydraulic motor, andenergization of this motor causes the drum to rotate, thereby removingslack from and tightening the wire rope 19 to the tension set by thedrag brake. When the logging machine has processed a log, it drops thelog (indicated as 34) into the throat 18 where the log 34 depresses thetrip 31, thereby actuating hydraulic switch 33. This causes jacks 30 toextend and move the thruster 27 laterally inwardly of its position shownin FIG. 2. During this movement, the leg 29 of the thruster 27 engagesthe log 34 and forces it past the projection 23, which is moveddownwardly against the action of the spring 26 to allow the log 34 topass. Once the log 34 is past the projection 23, the spring 26 forces itback up .to its operative position, and the jacks 30 contract tore-position the thruster 27 in the position shown in FIG. 2; As thethruster arm 27 returns to its start position, the hydraulic motor inthe winch 22 is automatically energized, tightening the wire rope 19'tothe drag brake tension and thereby securing the log 34 between the wirerope 19, the base frame 5 and the projection 23.

As each log is supplied by the logging machine to the throat 18, it issubsequently pushed past the projection 23 by the thruster 27. The rope19 is urged against the logs with constant tension, with more rope beingwithdrawn from the winch 22 as necessary. Thus, a bundle of logs isgradually built up within the generally circular configurationformed bythe base 5, arm 11 and its extension 12, as shown in FIG. 4.

When a sufficient number of logs has been supplied to the carrier 1, thelogs are secured as a bundle by an encircling band of wire 35, and base5 is tilted to the position in FIG. 5 by the jack 8. At the same time,jack 14 is contracted to swing the arm extension 12 outwardly. Thebundle of logs then rolls down the now downwardly slopingarm "to theground. The carrier is thenreturned to the attitudeshown in FIG. 2 forthe sequence to start again.

, Thus, the described log carrier is self-loading and requires theattention of an operator only to unload. The carrier is not required tostop when a log is being added to the load, and all logs already in thecarrier are securely retained while a further log is taken in. One ormore logs are securely held, regardless of their diameter, and the loadcan be discharged quickly with minimum disturbance of the load.

The carrier can be used with machines which collect a load of full treesas well as those which supply treelength logs.

I claim:

1. A log carrier including a base, an arm extending upwardly from oneside of the base, said arm being shaped to form a part-encirclingconfiguration overlying the base withvthe free end of the arm beinspaced above the base ad acent to the opposite side t ereof to form alog-receiving throat, a flexible element extending between the base andthearm, means for tensioning the flexible element, a displaceableprojection normally blocking said throat, and log thrusting meansadjacent to said opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from saidopposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with saidflexible element within the arm.

2. A lo'g carrier according toclaim 1 wherein the projection is mountedon the base and resiliently urged to a throat-blocking position.

3. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein said tensioning meansincludes a hydraulic winch.

4. A log carrier according to claim 3 wherein the winch is mounted onthe base. t

5. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the base has a second armat the opposite side thereof to the first arm to guide a log into thethroat.

6. A log carrier according to claim 5 wherein the thrust means has amain portion slidably mounted in the base an an upstanding log engagingleg normally positioned within an aperture within said second arm.

7. A log carrier according to claim 1 including trip means in saidthroat operable by a log entering the throat to actuate said thrustingmeans.

8. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the base is pivotallymounted on a platform so as to be pivotable about an axis adjacent tothe opposite end of the base'and parallel to the logs to discharge aload of logs from within the firs arm.

9. A log carrier according to claim 8 when the first arm includes afirst portion secured to .the base and a second portion pivotallyconnected to the first portion for movement away from the base to alog-discharging position.

II I I II I

1. A log carrier including a base, an arm extending upwardly from oneside of the base, said arm being shaped to form a partencirclingconfiguration overlying the base with the free end of the arm beingspaced above the base adjacent to the opposite side thereof to form alog-receiving throat, a flexible element extending between the base andthe arm, means for tensioning the flexible element, a displaceableprojection normally blocking said throat, and log thrusting meansadjacent to said opposite side of the base for thrusting a log from saidopposite side of the base past the projection into engagement with saidflexible element within the arm.
 2. A log carrier according to claim 1wherein the projection is mounted on the base and resiliently urged to athroat-blocking position.
 3. A log carrier according to claim 1 whereinsaid tensioning means includes a hydraulic winch.
 4. A log carrieraccording to claim 3 wherein the winch is mounted on the base.
 5. A logcarrier according to claim 1 wherein the base has a second arm at theoPposite side thereof to the first arm to guide a log into the throat.6. A log carrier according to claim 5 wherein the thrust means has amain portion slidably mounted in the base an an upstanding log-engagingleg normally positioned within an aperture within said second arm.
 7. Alog carrier according to claim 1 including trip means in said throatoperable by a log entering the throat to actuate said thrusting means.8. A log carrier according to claim 1 wherein the base is pivotallymounted on a platform so as to be pivotable about an axis adjacent tothe opposite end of the base and parallel to the logs to discharge aload of logs from within the firs arm.
 9. A log carrier according toclaim 8 when the first arm includes a first portion secured to the baseand a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion formovement away from the base to a log-discharging position.